6 cool things in music: Miley Cyrus, 'Yellowjackets' and Cathy Wurzer's 'Minnesota Music Minute'

A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:

Lindsay Guentzel of Crystal:

1 Soundtrack for Showtime's "Yellowjackets." An eclectic mix of songs from the '90s makes the perfect backdrop for this suspense-filled, teenage angst, heavy television hybrid. (Can't mention the show without hyping Misty's love of musical theater.)

2 "The Minnesota Music Minute" on Cathy Wurzer's new MPR show "Minnesota Now." As a news producer, it's a breath of fresh air to be given creative freedom, and producer Kelly Gordon does a great job of finding hidden gems.

3 Minnesota Orchestra's Exploring Symphony No. 5 with Sam Bergman, Jan. 15-16. I've been told the viola player does a great "classical music for dummies," like a fun Introduction to Culture. This beginner can't wait.

Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:

1 Miley Cyrus' New Year's Eve Party. Not only did she deal swiftly and gracefully with a wardrobe malfunction, she handled hosting and comedic duties (with sidekick Pete Davidson) with panache and aplomb. But it was her versatile singing that truly sparkled, whether duetting with Brandi Carlile or Noah Cyrus, or offering her striking new unrecorded ballad "You."

2 The Mighty Soulmates, "Vol. 1." Twin Cities musicians Andre Cymone and St. Paul Peterson, both former Prince associates, met up in Los Angeles and recorded this album in 1993 with Mic Murphy and Gardner Cole. Finally released now, it's rich in all kinds of R&B — and '90s flavor — with hints of the Minneapolis Sound that put these enduring talents on the map.

3 Soundtrack to "The Last Picture Show." The death of director Peter Bogdanovich reminded me how the soundtrack to his landmark 1971 film introduced many baby boomers to the classic country of Hank Snow, Lefty Frizzell, Pee Wee King and especially Hank Williams. (I met the charming Bogdanovich in 1995 when he crashed my post-concert Bruce Springsteen interview in Chicago. Of course, they talked about filmmaker John Ford. But that's another story.)

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